Second Stories

For the task of considering second stories on commercial street I chose to examine one of my favorite places in Buffalo: Allentown. Though it's reputation is heavily predicated upon it's nightlife, I believe that this particular neighborhood has an energy that is very distinct from, say, Hertel or Chippewa.

Here is a Google Maps link for those who may be unfamiliar with the area:

Allentown, Buffalo

Now that we know where we are, let's move on to what we can see!

This is the south-west corner of Elmwood and Allen. The most obvious feature of the second story is periodic extension of apartments beyond the space of the second floor which creates an overhang above the sidewalk. The inaccessibility and plainness of these dwellings suggest that they are apartments (along with the giant "Apt. For Rent sign which adorns the north side of the building). The spacing and formation of the architecture on the outside can also provide many clues about the inside. For instance, it's reasonable to infer that the apartments are roughly the same in size and composition. The small windows which punctuate the side suggest either bathrooms or stairwells, both of which probably mark the beginning or end of each apartment.

Another interesting aspect of the second floor is that it can contextualize the shops of the first floor. The first floor is composed of a few different shops, but the styling of the second floor that they are all apart of one contiguous space.

The second floor of the shops is... non existent... at least in the space directly above the buildings. What we see here is the extension of homes right up to the side walk of Allen St.. The second floor is present, but recessed and uniform in style with the back portion of the commercial area. These probably also serve as living space but a very different from the composition of the last building we looked at. It is interesting how these buildings have evolved to serve a different or hybrid purpose (commercial and residential).